The Art (And Difficulty) of Doing Less

I, like most dressage riders or trainers, am somewhat of a control freak. On one hand, this control and focus leads to many structural advantages when trying to master a very complicated and difficult discipline that is dressage. On the other hand however, it can be a serious liability that will not only drive you down the wrong path, but so far down that path that you may never be found. And your horse will become an unwilling participant in a one-sided relationship that is detrimental to both his physical and emotional health. When we try to control the horse too much We inevitably end up either making them dull and hard to the aids or over reactive and insecure. Neither is very helpful in developing a beautiful and harmonious dance partner. 

Last month, I had surgery on my hand. Long delayed (for obvious reasons, I am a horse trainer after all I need my hands).  I just couldn’t deal with the daily discomfort I had, even at rest. My hand had been forced (literally,) so off I went to the surgeon. Now, I knew I would be unable to do much for several days, but figured it would only be a week or two before I could at least ride. I had broken my other wrist many years ago and rode almost immediately. Since I have always had a more nuanced and soft approach to dressage, I figured one handed riding would be fairly easy for me. And it is. But it has got me thinking about what EXACTLY it is that makes this so. I have discovered that  It is much harder for my students to ride effectively one handed than it is for me. (Why not include some of them in my little experiment!) Plus, I had to “fix” or correct their horses problems differently than I normally would. MORE CAREFULLY.  LIGHTLY. In an exacting and specific way. When our hand is forced (pun intended), we must improvise. Necessity is the mother of invention, right?!

 I have often suggested my students to look at Para riders for inspiration. When I get a comment in a lesson like “I can’t get my horse forward enough!!! I NEED more leg!!!!” I say “The last Gold medalist Para rider had NO legs!” Literally. It’s not their horses (although, they are exceptionally trained), its ALL horses. Look at the different disciplines-saddle seat teaches hand cues for speed and gait changes, as they ride with their legs completely off. Western riders ride one handed all the time. Their horses turn. And stop. And go. It is said Nuno Olivera taught his horses to canter backwards. The American Indians rode bareback with no reins since they had to use bows and arrows WHILE riding bareback, to kill the buffalo.  So, the point is we do not NEED to do more. Not only does doing more desensitize your horse unnecessarily and instantly prompts him to protect himself, many times it’s actually the reason we (and our horses) struggle.

 So why do we do it? Human beings are hardwired to do more when things go wrong. We tend to think If something is not working we just need to do it more or harder. Try again. More. We will work harder and make this work! 

So what would happen if we tried to do less? What if, in those moments when we think our horse isn’t listening, instead of kicking or pulling, we pause instead? What if we wait a moment and silently ask our horse-what is it you don’t understand? How can I wait for you to hear me? Can I be more clear by taking an aid off, instead of putting another one on? If I had a dollar for every time I had a student struggling with a movement and the problem turned out to be they were doing too much, I would be a rich woman. The control to remain neutral when our minds and bodies instinctively tell us to do more is DIFFICULT.  It takes guts to say the problem is us and not our horse. We think it’s if we could just kick a little harder or hold a little longer or just “ride through” it, certainly the horse will start to listen. It’s human nature. But it is most certainly not in horses nature. They speak an almost completely unspoken language. Emotionally intelligent but with little reasoning capability, in many ways the horse is the antithesis of the human. But therein lies the magic. When executed correctly a horse and rider can achieve a partnership that defies explanation. First step along that journey to that partnership is control. Not control of the horse, but control of our reactions to our horse. The control to NOT do what our human nature tells us to do, but to do what the horses’ nature is calling out for. Understanding and patience is all they require. Horses will instinctively do more as (directly proportional to the amount) we control ourselves into doing less. The evidence is underneath us. Try riding with one hand your entire next ride and see what your horse tells you. Listen carefully and pause often. Don’t judge, just WAIT. You will be surprised how little you can do and how much you get back. And now you may just find yourself at the beginning of a beautiful and rewarding journey of mastering self control and taking the first step down the path of doing less. Your horse will thank you.